On November 5, 1852, a dozen eminent Civil Engineers gathered at the Croton Aqueduct in New York City in the office of Chief Engineer Alfred W. Craven to establish the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects. In 1868, a few years after architects had formed a professional society of their own, ASCE adopted its current name. For the first 144 years of its existence, ASCE maintained its headquarters in New York City, relocating six times to progressively larger facilities. In 1996, ASCE moved to its current global headquarters in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.
On February 5, 1915, San Diego residents who were members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) met at the University Club and proposed the formation of a local ASCE section. Edwin M. Capps, a civil engineer and mayor of the City of San Diego, played an important role in the founding of the new section. The constitution of the San Diego Section was adopted by the national organization on March 5, 1915 and the section was formed.
The American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. The Society advances civil engineering technical specialties through nine dynamic Institutes and leads with its many professional and public focused programs.
- Member strength: all career stages + students; all sectors & disciplines
- Local strength: 75 Sections, 158 Branches, and 130 Younger Member Groups
- Technical strength: 9 specialty Institutes